Published: 11th November 2015 at 5:23 pm. Posted in Blog.
The Autumn red deer rut has always been one of my favourite events of the year and a major event in every wildlife photographers calendar. It’s is the best time of year to watch our British deer as they participate in the rut, with the stags engaging in fierce and often fatal battles to exert their right to mate with the hinds.
Stag silhouetted on the horizon.
I’ve really focused on doing something a bit different this year, capturing mainly silhouettes and environmental images rather than simple portraits.
Stag bellowing in front of the setting sun.
Stag bellowing in front of the setting sun.
These images were taken just after the sun had set, with the afterglow creating a great backdrop to silhouette the stags against.
Doe and fawn silhouette.
During the rutting season most people concentrate on photographing the biggest stags they can find, myself included, but I also like to capture the much more understated beauty of the females.
Silhouette of a doe.
Pair of does walking across the horizon.
If the opportunity for a portrait arises however I’m not one to miss a chance!
Portrait of a red deer doe.
Young stag in some long grass.
Young stag looking surprised in some long grass.
Stag against a blue sky.
Portrait of a handsome stag.
One of the most recognisable sounds whilst out on the moors with the deer is the bellowing so I had to capture a couple of images of this phenomenon.
Bellowing stag.
Stag bellowing on a chilly morning.
I’ve also been experimenting with a couple of panoramic images this year.
Panoramic image of a stag just after dawn with mist rising off the heather.
Stag silhouetted against a misty valley.
A lone stag on the crest of a hill with a sea of mist rippling in the valley behind.
The deer rut is now drawing to a close and although I’ve not seen much sparring action between stags here in Derbyshire, I’ve still enjoyed some really special moments.
The only action I managed to capture this year was in late September whilst I was down in London.
Stags sparring in Richmond Park London.
I hope you’ve enjoyed the images, thanks for looking feel free to share!
